Jenson Button: Legend Or Flop, What a Difference a Year Makes!

(Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Almost a year ago I wrote an article about Formula 1 driver- Jenson Button which got mixed reactions, the article was titled Jenson Button, Formula 1 Legend or Flop a lot of people did not get my reasoning for writing that article and calling him a legend but a lot of people also knew where I was coming from.

A year on and that article has had well in excess of a thousand reads on Bleacher Report, but what made me even more satisfied was the fact it got over 300,000 reads on the official Honda website, RealHondaF1 which is now called RealBrawnGP, the point of debate that arose from it was confidence boosting as a writer.

So you are thinking, what’s my point here with this article then, well my point is that Jenson is starting to prove me right in this fascinating 2009 championship battle, that he is indeed a legend or fast becoming one with his string of stunning drives in his rejuvenated BrawnGP team.

It looked as though M/S. Button and Barrichello wouldn’t even have a drive during close season until Ross Brawn salvaged their careers by creating his own team on the back of Honda’s demise from the sport and the rest is history, BrawnGP are absolutely on fire.

So back to Jenson Buttons extraordinary turn in fortunes, how the doubters and people who called Button a waste of space must now be smarting at being so hasty in striking down the Frome born racer who has achieved something that three world champions Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso cant even claim to have achieved.

That achievement comes in the form of five race victories from the first six races in a season, that coupled with a fourth place finish in China, four pole positions from a possible six and three one – two finishes for the Brawn team makes him world champion material in anyone’s books.

Button is even breaking and equalling records set by greats of Formula 1, the amazing start to the season has only been done by a handful of men that include Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell.

He is showing more of that grit and determination I talked about in my first article, the grin has grown wider, his personality has become more bubblier, he seems in a happy place right now, that is coming across in his driving and there seem to be only two people that can burst his bubble, they are himself and team mate Rubinho Barrichello.

You cannot do what Button has done purely by accident, it’s a culmination of his hard work and dedication, previous experience, be it good or bad and belief in his own abilities and belief in his team.

The constant praise from team boss Ross

Ross Brawn, who is considered a legend himself must be phenomenal in terms of confidence boosting, he is being told by the best that he is a world champion to be.

If you are sitting there mumbling to yourself that I’m still wrong and that Button is only good with a good car, then look at Barrichello, he was rubbish in the Honda on the whole too, now he is on fire in the new Brawn car as well as being a solid driver in his Ferrari days so Button cant be as rubbish as most of you make him out to be.

Fair enough the number 22 car is a huge factor in where Button sits right now, it seems perfect and if it was last years car he would still be lagging behind, but Button is the man steering the wheel and stamping on the pedals, in other words you still have to be a great driver to win any race, for me this years car is merely highlighting Jenson’s outstanding talent behind the wheel of a 200mph+ machine.

Lets look at it this way, McLaren and Hamilton had a fantastic car in 2007 and 2008 just like button has in this 2009 season, did they win five from six? No, did Ferrari who also had a great car win five from six? No. Did either of those two teams dominate so much that the title was looking in the bag after six races? No. So it has to be down to the fact that Button is an absolutely first class driver in a first class car.

He is exceeding his own expectations, his father John Button is even astonished at the start to the season his son has had twice in 14 days he lapped last years champion Lewis Hamilton who is enduring the misfortunes of being a midfield to back runner as Button had to the last few years, which proves that driver and car need to work in harmony to achieve great things and that the best of the best sometimes suffer, I believe that is what happened to Button in the past.

A lot of you wont have changed your mind on Button being a legend or not, but I can guarantee one thing, he has made you all sit up and take notice, hasn’t he?

Do you still doubt his abilities or the fact he can be a world champion in the most devastating of fashions?

For me Jenson will always be a legend, no one can change that, maybe it is because I’m English supporting a home grown, who knows, but I am feeling more confident that Button will retire with you all calling him a legend for this F1 campaign alone for he has been fantastic and I don’t think we have seen a tenth of what he can do.

I’m intrigued to hear what you are all thinking about Jenson Button now, a year on.

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